Somewhere beyond Earth, aboard the Demon Queen's enormous spaceship…
Inside a vast experimental chamber, a little boy was doing push-ups.
He looked no older than five or six.
His small hands pressed against the metallic floor, and his body trembled under the crushing gravitational force surrounding him. Every time he lowered himself, the floor beneath his palms groaned.
Above the chamber, several screens displayed his heartbeat, blood pressure, muscle activity, and spiritual energy.
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
His heartbeat was rising.
His muscles were trembling.
Even his bones were beginning to crack under the pressure.
Yet the boy continued.
One push-up.
Two.
Three.
His arms shook violently.
Four.
Five.
His elbows nearly collapsed, but he forced them straight again.
Outside the chamber, the Demon Queen sat comfortably in a floating chair, watching the experiment through a transparent screen.
She rested her cheek against one hand.
"Twenty-seven… twenty-eight… twenty-nine…"
Her lips curved into a playful smile.
"Come on, little darling! You can do better than that!"
Inside the chamber, the boy's arms suddenly gave way.
His chest struck the floor.
For several seconds, he couldn't move.
Then his fingers curled.
He pushed himself up again.
"Thirty…"
His voice trembled.
"Thirty-one…"
The Demon Queen giggled.
"Oh, you're such a good boy!"
She raised one finger.
The artificial gravity increased.
BOOOOOOM!
The metal floor buckled beneath the boy.
His entire body slammed against it.
His heartbeat shot upward on the monitors.
WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!
One of the scientists standing behind the Demon Queen swallowed nervously.
"Your Majesty, his physical condition is deteriorating rapidly. If we increase the gravity any further, his body might not withstand the pressure."
The Demon Queen turned her head.
"Did I ask you a question?"
The scientist immediately lowered his head.
"N-No, Your Majesty."
"Wonderful! Then keep watching."
She turned back toward the chamber, smiling.
"After all, we're doing something important here."
Inside the chamber, the boy slowly lifted his head.
His eyes were filled with tears, but he wasn't crying.
"M-Mom…"
The Demon Queen's smile softened.
"Hmm? What is it, sweetheart?"
"Can I… can I stop now?"
She tilted her head.
"Stop?"
She placed a hand against her chest and made an exaggerated expression of heartbreak.
"Oh, my goodness! Are you telling your poor mother that you're tired already?"
The boy immediately shook his head.
"N-No! I don't want you to be disappointed in me!"
"Then keep going."
The boy clenched his teeth.
He forced his arms beneath his body and tried to rise.
"Yes… Mom!"
The Demon Queen watched him struggle.
Her smile remained gentle.
But her eyes revealed nothing resembling affection.
The boy had been created using her genetic material, Leo's DNA, and other experimental samples. He had been given a body capable of surviving extraordinary conditions, but his potential remained uncertain.
And the Demon Queen intended to discover exactly how far she could push him.
She leaned toward the microphone.
"Sweetheart, do you remember what I told you about your father?"
The boy paused.
"My… father?"
"That's right."
Her voice became quieter.
"That terrible man who tried to kill your mother."
The boy's expression changed.
"Father tried to kill you?"
The Demon Queen lowered her eyes.
For a moment, she appeared frightened.
"Oh, darling. I didn't want you to know the truth so soon."
She sighed dramatically.
"But I suppose you're old enough now."
Inside the chamber, the boy's hands tightened into fists.
"Why would he do that?"
"Because he's a horrible person."
The Demon Queen spoke as casually as someone describing the weather.
"He wanted to destroy me. He didn't care what happened to me, or what would happen to you if you ever met him."
The boy's eyes widened.
"Then…"
His voice shook with anger.
"I'll protect you, Mom!"
The Demon Queen blinked.
Then she smiled.
"I beg your pardon?"
"I'll become stronger! I'll defeat Father! If he tries to hurt you again, I'll stop him!"
For a moment, silence filled the control room.
Then the Demon Queen began laughing.
Not loudly.
Not cruelly.
Just a light, delighted giggle.
"Oh, you precious little thing!"
She touched the screen with one finger.
"You would really do that for me?"
"Yes!"
"Even if he's stronger than you?"
"I'll become stronger than him!"
"Even if he doesn't love you?"
The boy hesitated.
The Demon Queen's smile widened.
"Even if he looks you in the eyes and tells you that you mean absolutely nothing to him?"
The boy lowered his head.
His little shoulders trembled.
Then he looked up again.
"I don't care! You're my mother! I'll protect you!"
The Demon Queen stared at him.
For one brief moment, her expression became impossible to read.
Then she laughed again.
"Ahhh… children are so easy to understand."
The scientist beside her pretended not to hear.
She stood up from her chair.
"That's enough for today."
She pressed a button.
The artificial gravity immediately returned to normal.
The boy collapsed onto the floor, breathing heavily.
"Take him to the recovery chamber," she ordered. "Make sure his body receives the treatment it needs. I want him back here after he recovers."
"Understood, Your Majesty."
Two medical attendants entered the chamber and carefully carried the unconscious boy away.
As they disappeared through the door, the Demon Queen waved at them.
"Sleep well, my little prince!"
The door closed.
Her smile vanished.
She turned toward the scientists.
"Continue monitoring his development. I want every change recorded, including the smallest fluctuations in his spiritual energy."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"And if he asks about his father again…"
She paused.
A playful smile returned to her face.
"Tell him whatever I told him was true."
The scientists exchanged uneasy glances.
They knew better than to question her.
The Demon Queen walked away, humming a cheerful little tune.
She had just given a child a reason to hate someone he had never met.
And she had done it without raising her voice.
---
The Second Chamber
Farther inside the spaceship, behind several layers of security, stood another experimental chamber.
Unlike the first room, this one was completely silent.
No alarms.
No training equipment.
No scientists shouting measurements.
Only a massive cylindrical capsule filled with a strange, translucent liquid.
Inside it floated a second child.
His entire body was black.
His face was black.
His hands, legs, and even the surface of his head were covered in the same unnatural darkness.
Across his body, tiny points of light shimmered like distant stars scattered across an endless night sky. Faint patterns resembling galaxies drifted beneath his skin, constantly shifting and changing.
He was curled up inside the capsule, his knees drawn toward his chest.
He appeared to be sleeping.
Yet the readings on the nearby monitors refused to remain stable.
One moment, his energy levels were almost nonexistent.
The next, the instruments registered a reading so enormous that the screens automatically shut down.
A scientist stared at the latest results.
"That can't be right."
Another scientist approached.
"What happened?"
"The readings changed again."
"How much?"
The first scientist remained silent.
He slowly turned the monitor toward his colleague.
The second scientist's face went pale.
"That's impossible…"
The first scientist swallowed.
"We don't even know what we're measuring anymore."
Behind the glass, the child remained motionless.
Then one of the lights on his body flickered.
For a fraction of a second, the entire chamber appeared to stretch.
The walls seemed farther away.
The capsule looked smaller.
And the scientists felt as though they were standing inside a room that had suddenly become much, much larger than the spaceship containing it.
Then everything returned to normal.
Neither scientist spoke.
Inside the capsule, the child continued sleeping.
The Demon Queen had created two extraordinary children.
One was being taught to hate.
The other had yet to reveal what he could become.
And neither of them knew what kind of future awaited them.
---
The Woman Who Never Gives a Straight Answer
"Well, well, well…"
A cheerful voice interrupted the silence.
The Demon Queen turned toward the entrance.
Standing in the doorway was the Masked Man.
He wore his familiar dark clothing, gloves, and mask. His hands rested casually in his pockets, as though he had wandered into a shopping mall rather than the laboratory of one of the most dangerous beings in existence.
He glanced at the first chamber.
Then at the second.
Then back at the Demon Queen.
"Wow."
He whistled.
"Your hobbies are getting more disturbing every time I see you."
The Demon Queen placed a hand over her mouth.
"Me? Disturbing?"
She widened her eyes innocently.
"I'm a mother! Mothers are supposed to care for their children!"
The Masked Man stared at her.
"You're literally putting a five-year-old under enough gravity to make the floor bend."
"Oh, don't exaggerate! The floor was already a little crooked."
He looked at the damaged metal beneath the chamber.
Then at her.
"That is the worst excuse I've ever heard."
She giggled.
"Thank you! I worked very hard on it."
"That wasn't a compliment!"
"I know."
She winked.
The Masked Man sighed and walked farther into the room.
His attention shifted toward the second capsule.
For once, he didn't make a joke.
He studied the strange child floating inside.
"What exactly are you trying to create here?"
The Demon Queen followed his gaze.
"Oh, that?"
She shrugged.
"A surprise."
"A surprise?"
"Mhm!"
"For whom?"
"For whoever survives long enough to find out."
The Masked Man slowly turned toward her.
"You know, sometimes I genuinely wonder whether you have a functioning brain."
She pressed a finger against her cheek.
"Oh, I definitely have one."
She leaned closer.
"Several people have tried to get inside it, actually. None of them liked what they found."
"That sentence is going to haunt me for the rest of my life."
"Good! Then my work here is done."
The Masked Man rubbed his forehead.
He had barely been in the room for five minutes, and already he regretted coming.
But he hadn't come here simply to inspect her laboratory.
He had a question.
And he wanted an answer.
"Demon Queen."
"Hmm?"
"What do you actually want?"
Her smile remained.
But she stopped moving.
For the first time since his arrival, she didn't immediately answer.
The Masked Man folded his arms.
"You're creating experimental children. You're collecting power. You're manipulating people. You keep involving yourself in events that could affect entire worlds."
He took a step toward her.
"So what's the goal?"
She blinked.
"Goal?"
"Yes. Your objective. Your ultimate plan. Whatever you want to call it."
He spread his hands.
"Do you want revenge? Do you want to conquer the universe? Are you trying to become the most powerful being in existence?"
He paused.
"Or are you simply bored?"
The Demon Queen stared at him.
Then she burst out laughing.
"HAHAHAHAHA!"
She laughed so hard that she had to hold her stomach.
The Masked Man stood completely still.
"What's so funny?"
"You!"
"Me?"
"Yes, you!"
She wiped an imaginary tear from the corner of her eye.
"Look at you! Standing there like a detective in some cheap mystery novel, demanding that the villain explain her entire plan!"
She imitated his serious expression.
"'Tell me, Demon Queen! What is your ultimate objective?'"
Then she leaned forward and whispered dramatically.
"'What do you want?'"
She burst into another fit of giggles.
The Masked Man's eye twitched beneath his mask.
"I swear, one day I'm going to throw you out of a window."
"Oh, how frightening!"
She clasped her hands together.
"Should I be worried? Should I scream? Should I call someone?"
She glanced around the laboratory.
"Hello? Is anyone here? A strange masked man is threatening me!"
She looked back at him.
"Nobody came. How tragic."
The Masked Man took a deep breath.
"Can you answer one serious question without turning it into a comedy show?"
The Demon Queen tilted her head.
"Why?"
"Because this is serious!"
"Is it?"
"YES!"
She smiled.
"Then why are you asking me?"
He fell silent.
The Demon Queen walked past him, her footsteps echoing softly across the metal floor.
"You see, that's the problem with people like you."
She spoke in a light, conversational tone.
"You think everyone has a destination. A plan. A grand purpose that explains every decision they've ever made."
She turned around and walked backward, smiling at him.
"You want to believe that if you follow the clues, eventually everything will make sense."
Her smile became wider.
"But what if it doesn't?"
The Masked Man didn't answer.
"What if I want power today, revenge tomorrow, and absolutely nothing the day after that?"
She raised one finger.
"What if I want to save the universe in the morning, destroy it in the afternoon, and have a nice cup of tea before dinner?"
She stopped walking.
"What then?"
The Masked Man stared at her.
"Then I'd say you need professional help."
"Perhaps!"
She nodded enthusiastically.
"Do you know a good therapist?"
"No."
"How disappointing."
She sighed.
Then, as if remembering something amusing, she snapped her fingers.
"Oh! I almost forgot."
She pointed at him.
"You still don't know who you are, do you?"
The Masked Man went still.
The atmosphere changed.
It was subtle, but unmistakable.
The Demon Queen noticed.
Of course she noticed.
She always seemed to notice the things people most wanted to hide.
"What's wrong?" she asked innocently. "Did I touch a sensitive subject?"
He clenched his fists.
"Don't change the subject."
"Who's changing the subject?"
She smiled.
"I'm simply curious. You walk around wearing that mask, asking everyone else who they are and what they want."
She leaned closer.
"But have you ever asked yourself those questions?"
The Masked Man said nothing.
Her smile softened into something almost sympathetic.
"Poor thing."
She patted his shoulder.
"Perhaps you should solve your own mystery before trying to solve mine."
He immediately brushed her hand away.
"Stop pretending you care about me."
The Demon Queen laughed softly.
"Oh, darling. I never said I cared."
She walked past him.
"I merely said I was curious."
---
A God Is Watching
The Demon Queen suddenly stopped.
Her eyes shifted toward a security camera mounted high on the wall.
For several seconds, she stared directly into its lens.
Then she smiled.
"Oh?"
The Masked Man followed her gaze.
"What now?"
She raised her hand and waved at the camera.
"Hello there!"
Silence.
The Masked Man looked from the camera to her.
"Are you talking to the security system?"
"No."
She waved again.
"I'm talking to someone who thinks they're being very clever."
Her smile widened.
"Hello, Multiverse Demon King!"
Far away, inside the Demon King's chamber, the Multiverse Demon King froze.
He was watching the laboratory through a magical surveillance system.
Slowly, he leaned toward the screen.
"How does she know I'm watching?"
On the screen, the Demon Queen placed both hands on her hips.
"Oh, don't look so surprised! Did you really think you could watch me without me noticing?"
The Demon King frowned.
"I concealed my presence perfectly!"
The Demon Queen burst out laughing.
"Perfectly? Sweetheart, your idea of perfect concealment is putting a curtain over a window and calling it a secret base!"
The Masked Man turned toward the camera.
"Wait. You can hear him?"
"Of course!"
"How?"
She tapped the side of her head.
"Magic."
"That's not an explanation!"
"It's the only one you're getting."
The Demon Queen leaned toward the camera.
Her playful expression suddenly became dangerous.
"Listen carefully, Demon King."
The temperature in the room seemed to drop.
"If you continue watching me without permission, I'll come to your little chamber and remove every single camera you own."
She smiled sweetly.
"And then I'll remove the walls."
Back in his chamber, the Demon King slowly leaned away from the screen.
"Perhaps I should turn it off."
"AND DON'T THINK I WON'T FIND YOU!"
He immediately switched off the surveillance system.
The screen went black.
The Demon Queen waved at it.
"Bye-bye!"
She turned toward the Masked Man.
Then she looked directly ahead, beyond the laboratory, beyond the spaceship, as though she could see something far beyond the world itself.
"And as for the rest of you…"
Her smile returned.
"Stop staring at me!"
She pointed accusingly toward the invisible audience.
"Honestly! Have none of you ever heard of privacy?"
The Masked Man looked around.
"Who are you talking to now?"
"The perverts watching this scene!"
He stared at her.
"You're aware of the audience?"
"Of course I am!"
She placed a hand against her chest.
"I'm a beautiful woman standing in a laboratory, and you're all watching me instead of looking at the scientific equipment!"
She gasped.
"Disgusting!"
The Masked Man slowly turned his head toward the empty space in front of him.
"Okay, I'm officially concerned."
The Demon Queen giggled.
"Don't worry, darling. You'll get used to it."
"That's exactly what I'm afraid of."
---
The Sword Hidden in Her Mouth
The Demon Queen's laughter gradually faded.
She turned toward the Masked Man.
"By the way…"
"Hmm?"
"You still haven't answered my question."
He frowned.
"What question?"
She smiled.
"Who are you?"
The Masked Man's expression hardened.
"I'm the Masked Man."
"That's a name."
"It's what people call me."
"That's not what I asked."
She slowly approached him.
"Who are you beneath that mask? Where did you come from? Why are you here?"
Her voice became softer.
"And why do you keep pretending that you understand everyone else when you don't even understand yourself?"
The Masked Man's hands tightened.
"Enough."
The Demon Queen stopped directly in front of him.
For a moment, they stared at each other.
Then she smiled brightly.
"Okay!"
The sudden change in tone was so ridiculous that the Masked Man nearly stumbled.
"…What?"
She shrugged.
"You said enough, so I'll stop asking."
He stared at her suspiciously.
"You're just going to stop?"
"Of course!"
She nodded.
"I'm a very obedient woman."
"No, you're not."
"You're right!"
She clapped her hands.
"Now, let's fight!"
The Masked Man stared at her.
"WHAT?!"
The Demon Queen opened her mouth.
A strange, dark-red substance appeared at the back of her throat.
Before he could react, she reached into her mouth and slowly pulled out a sword.
The blade emerged coated in thick, sticky saliva. Dark crimson liquid slid along its surface, dripping from the tip onto the metallic floor.
Drip.
The Masked Man stared at the weapon.
Then at her mouth.
Then at the weapon again.
His shoulders slowly slumped.
"Why?"
The Demon Queen blinked.
"Why what?"
"WHY DOES YOUR MOUTH CONTAIN A SWORD?!"
She examined the blade.
"Oh, this?"
She licked her lips.
"I was keeping it somewhere safe."
"THAT IS NOT A STORAGE LOCATION!"
She giggled.
"You're so judgmental!"
The Masked Man pointed at the sword.
"That thing is covered in saliva!"
"Would you prefer that I clean it?"
"YES!"
She pretended to consider the suggestion.
Then she shook her head.
"No."
The Masked Man looked toward the ceiling.
"Someone please give me the strength to survive this woman."
The Demon Queen lifted the sword onto her shoulder.
"Come on, Masked Man."
Her smile became sharp.
"Show me what you can do."
He slowly lowered his gaze.
"Do we really have to fight?"
"Yes."
"Can we talk about it?"
"No."
"Can I go home?"
"No."
"Can I at least have a different opponent?"
She shook her head.
"Absolutely not!"
The Masked Man sighed.
"Fine."
He raised his hands.
"But when I win, you're cleaning that sword yourself."
The Demon Queen burst out laughing.
"Oh, darling!"
She bent forward, laughing so hard that her shoulders shook.
"You really think you're going to win?"
She straightened.
Her playful smile remained, but the air around her suddenly grew heavy.
"That's adorable."
Then she attacked.
---
The Demon Queen's Game
BOOOOM!
The floor exploded beneath her feet.
She crossed the distance between them in an instant, swinging her blood-red sword toward his neck.
The Masked Man barely leaned aside.
The blade passed close enough to disturb the fabric around his collar.
He jumped backward.
"HEY! YOU SAID WE WERE GOING TO FIGHT, NOT THAT YOU WERE GOING TO REMOVE MY HEAD!"
The Demon Queen followed him.
"Really? I thought removing your head was a perfectly reasonable opening move!"
She swung again.
He ducked.
The sword smashed into the wall.
KRAAAAAASH!
Metal fragments flew across the chamber.
The Masked Man stared at the enormous gash.
Then he turned toward her.
"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW EXPENSIVE REPAIRS ARE?!"
The Demon Queen glanced at the damaged wall.
"Hmm. You're right."
She nodded thoughtfully.
"I should have aimed at the ceiling instead."
"THAT IS NOT WHAT I MEANT!"
She laughed and attacked again.
The Masked Man twisted aside, caught her wrist, and attempted to redirect the blade.
For one brief moment, he thought he had gained control.
Then the Demon Queen smiled.
"Oh, you're holding my hand."
He froze.
"What?"
She glanced at their hands.
"How bold!"
The Masked Man immediately released her.
"THAT IS NOT—"
She kicked him in the stomach.
BOOOOM!
He flew across the chamber and crashed into a pile of equipment.
"—A DATE!"
The Demon Queen tilted her head.
"Then why are you blushing?"
"I'm NOT BLUSHING!"
"You sound embarrassed."
"I'M BEING PUNCHED!"
"Oh, so that's your excuse?"
The Masked Man struggled to his feet.
"I am going to regret every decision that brought me here."
The Demon Queen appeared directly in front of him.
"Then perhaps you should stop making bad decisions!"
She swung her sword.
He blocked the strike with his forearm, reinforced by his energy, and grabbed her shoulder.
For the first time, her expression changed.
The Masked Man drove his fist into her stomach.
DOOOOOM!
The impact shook the entire chamber.
The Demon Queen shot backward, smashed through a reinforced wall, and disappeared into the adjoining corridor.
Silence followed.
The Masked Man lowered his fist.
He looked at the hole in the wall.
Then he looked at his hand.
Then back at the hole.
"…Okay."
He straightened his clothes.
"That was actually pretty cool."
A voice came from the other side of the wall.
"Was it?"
The Masked Man stiffened.
The Demon Queen stepped through the wreckage.
Her clothes were slightly disheveled, but she didn't appear particularly concerned.
She rubbed her stomach.
"Ouch."
She looked at him with wide, innocent eyes.
"That hurt, you know."
The Masked Man raised his chin.
"Good. Maybe now you'll take me seriously."
She stared at him.
Then she smiled.
"Oh, I take you very seriously."
She raised her sword.
"That's why I'm going to enjoy this."
The pressure in the room increased.
The metal beneath her feet began to bend.
Loose objects rose into the air.
The Masked Man's body suddenly felt heavier.
He gritted his teeth.
"What… is this?"
"Gravity."
She said it as casually as if she were explaining how to boil water.
"I'm simply asking the universe to give you a little hug."
The Masked Man struggled to straighten his back.
"A LITTLE HUG?!"
She pressed one finger downward.
The gravity increased.
His knees buckled.
"THAT'S NOT A HUG! THAT'S A CRIME!"
The Demon Queen laughed.
"Then call the police!"
He forced himself upright.
"You know what? Fine!"
He pulled himself free of the pressure and rushed toward her.
She swung the sword.
He dodged.
She twisted and attacked again.
He ducked beneath the blade, stepped forward, and struck her shoulder.
She staggered.
He followed with another punch, forcing her to retreat.
For several moments, the two exchanged blows at incredible speed.
Every strike shook the walls.
Every collision sent waves of energy through the chamber.
The Masked Man managed to land several clean hits.
But the Demon Queen never stopped smiling.
And that was beginning to bother him.
"WHY ARE YOU STILL SMILING?!"
She blocked his punch with the flat of her sword.
"Because I'm having fun!"
"WE'RE TRYING TO KILL EACH OTHER!"
"Yes!"
She pushed him away.
"Isn't that exciting?"
He landed on his feet.
"No! It's stressful!"
The Demon Queen burst out laughing.
"Then you're playing the game wrong!"
She lifted her sword.
The Masked Man watched her carefully.
He knew she was dangerous.
He knew she was unpredictable.
And he knew that her playful attitude wasn't simply a personality quirk.
It was a weapon.
She could make a threat sound like a joke.
She could turn a warning into a compliment.
She could smile at someone while quietly dismantling everything they believed about themselves.
And the worst part?
She seemed to enjoy doing it.
The Masked Man took a deep breath.
"Listen carefully."
The Demon Queen tilted her head.
"Hmm?"
"Your playful tone might work on people who don't know how to deal with you."
He pointed at her.
"You can laugh, tease me, threaten me, or pretend that everything is a joke."
He clenched his fist.
"But you can't talk your way out of a punch."
The Demon Queen stared at him.
For one second, she was silent.
Then she smiled.
"Oh?"
She lowered her sword slightly.
"So that's what you believe?"
"Yes."
"Interesting."
She placed a finger against her chin.
"Then tell me something, Masked Man."
He said nothing.
"Why are you so desperate to prove that your strength is real?"
His expression tightened.
She noticed.
Of course she did.
"Why does it bother you when I laugh at you?"
The Masked Man's fists clenched harder.
"It doesn't."
"Really?"
She stepped closer.
"Then why are you angry?"
"I'm not angry."
"Then why are you shouting?"
"BECAUSE YOU WON'T STOP TALKING!"
She laughed.
"There it is!"
The Masked Man stared at her.
"There what is?"
"Your temper!"
She clapped her hands.
"Wonderful! I was beginning to think you didn't have one!"
He took a step forward.
"Stop playing games with me."
The Demon Queen tilted her head.
"But you came here to play one."
"No, I came here for answers!"
"And I gave you an answer."
"No, you didn't!"
She smiled.
"Then perhaps you weren't listening."
---
A Ninja's Last Hope
The Masked Man suddenly stepped back.
"Fine."
The Demon Queen blinked.
"Fine?"
"If you want to play games, we'll play games."
He reached into his clothing and pulled out a familiar-looking ninja headband.
He tied it around his forehead.
Then he produced a sword.
The Demon Queen stared.
Silence.
Then she slowly raised one eyebrow.
"…Seriously?"
The Masked Man adjusted his headband.
"Don't laugh."
She pressed both hands over her mouth.
His eyes narrowed.
"I said don't laugh."
Her shoulders began trembling.
"You're wearing a headband."
"It's a tactical decision."
"A tactical decision?"
"Yes."
She looked at the sword.
"And you brought a ninja sword?"
"Yes."
She looked back at his headband.
"Did you seriously think that would make you look more intimidating?"
The Masked Man pointed his sword at her.
"I'M TRYING TO ESTABLISH A COOL ATMOSPHERE!"
The Demon Queen collapsed into laughter.
"Oh, this is wonderful!"
She wiped tears from her eyes.
"First you threaten to throw me out of a window, then you get angry because I don't take you seriously, and now you've dressed up like a ninja!"
She leaned forward.
"What's next? Are you going to yell the name of every attack before using it?"
The Masked Man's eye twitched.
"Don't tempt me."
She gasped.
"Oh, please do!"
He took a deep breath.
Then he charged.
The Demon Queen raised her sword.
Their blades collided.
CLAAANG!
Sparks burst between them.
The Masked Man pushed forward, using quick, precise movements to force her backward.
He slashed.
She blocked.
He pivoted and attacked from the opposite side.
She twisted aside.
For a moment, the Masked Man's movements became fluid and controlled. He stopped reacting to her jokes and concentrated entirely on the fight.
His sword swept toward her shoulder.
She deflected it.
He stepped inside her guard and struck with his elbow.
She blocked that too.
Their weapons collided again.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
The Masked Man forced her toward the edge of the chamber.
"There!"
He swung downward.
She caught his blade between hers.
Their faces were inches apart.
The Demon Queen smiled.
"You're getting better."
He gritted his teeth.
"Don't patronize me."
"I'm not!"
She tilted her head.
"I'm genuinely impressed."
He hesitated.
Only for a fraction of a second.
But it was enough.
She twisted her wrist, disarmed him, and kicked him backward.
His sword spun through the air and struck the floor several meters away.
The Masked Man stumbled.
The Demon Queen caught his ninja headband between two fingers before it could fall from his forehead.
She examined it.
Then she looked at him.
"Nice accessory."
He stared at her.
"Give it back."
She smiled.
"Ask nicely."
"Give it back."
"That wasn't nice."
He lunged for it.
She raised her hand.
The gravity around him increased.
His body slammed against the floor.
BOOOOM!
The Demon Queen crouched beside him, holding the headband just out of reach.
"Oh, dear."
She pouted.
"Did the great ninja run out of tricks?"
The Masked Man tried to push himself up.
"You're… cheating…"
She gasped.
"Cheating? In a fight?"
She placed a hand against her chest.
"I'm shocked! Horrified! Deeply offended!"
She paused.
Then smiled.
"Anyway, I'm keeping this."
The Masked Man glared at her.
"Give. It. Back."
"Why?"
"Because it's mine!"
"Are you sure?"
He froze.
The Demon Queen tilted her head.
"How do you know it's yours?"
He stared at her.
She smiled sweetly.
"How do you know anything about yourself?"
The words struck harder than her sword.
The Masked Man's expression changed.
The Demon Queen noticed immediately.
"Oh?"
She leaned closer.
"Did I find something?"
He tried to look away.
"Shut up."
"Something you don't like talking about?"
"Shut up."
"Something you're afraid to admit?"
"I SAID SHUT UP!"
His voice echoed throughout the chamber.
The Demon Queen went silent.
For a moment, she simply watched him.
Then she smiled.
Not the cheerful smile she had worn during their earlier conversation.
Something quieter.
Something far more unsettling.
"Ah."
She gently placed the headband on the floor beside him.
"So that's where it hurts."
The Masked Man stared at her.
She stood up.
"You know, I was beginning to wonder whether you had any weaknesses at all."
She turned away from him.
"But everyone has something."
She glanced over her shoulder.
"Some people fear death. Others fear losing the people they love."
Her smile widened.
"And some people are terrified that, if they ever stop hiding, the world will discover that there's nothing particularly special underneath."
The Masked Man stopped breathing for a moment.
She continued walking.
"Isn't that interesting?"
He slowly pushed himself up.
His hands were shaking.
Not because of the gravity.
Not because of the pain.
Because she had touched something he didn't want anyone to see.
"How much do you know about me?" he demanded.
The Demon Queen stopped.
She turned around.
"Me?"
She pointed at herself.
"Oh, darling. I barely know anything about you."
She smiled.
"But I don't need to know everything."
She walked back toward him.
"People are always leaving clues behind. The way they speak. The things they avoid. The questions that make them angry."
She gently tapped his chest with one finger.
"Sometimes, all you have to do is pay attention."
The Masked Man knocked her hand away.
"Stop acting like you understand me!"
The Demon Queen tilted her head.
"Then explain yourself."
He opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
She waited.
He looked away.
The silence grew.
Finally, she smiled.
"That's what I thought."
The Masked Man's face tightened with anger.
He wanted to hit her.
He wanted to silence her.
He wanted to prove that she hadn't figured him out.
But he couldn't find the words.
And she knew it.
---
The Question Without an Answer
The Demon Queen picked up her blood-red sword.
She examined its blade, apparently losing interest in the conversation.
"Well, that was fun."
The Masked Man remained standing in the damaged chamber, breathing heavily.
His headband lay on the floor.
His sword was several meters away.
His confidence had been shaken, and he hated that she had managed to do it without defeating him through strength alone.
The Demon Queen walked toward the exit.
"Wait."
She stopped.
The Masked Man looked at her.
"You're not going to answer my question?"
She turned around.
"What question?"
He stared at her in disbelief.
"Are you serious?!"
She smiled.
"Oh, right!"
She snapped her fingers.
"You asked what I wanted."
"Yes!"
She placed one hand beneath her chin.
"Hmm…"
She looked toward the ceiling.
Then toward the two experimental chambers.
Then back at him.
"Perhaps I want power."
She raised one finger.
"Perhaps I want revenge."
A second finger.
"Perhaps I want to conquer the universe."
A third.
"Perhaps I want to destroy everything."
She paused.
"Or perhaps I want to save it."
The Masked Man stared at her.
"Which one?"
The Demon Queen shrugged.
"Who knows?"
He clenched his fists.
"YOU'RE THE ONE WHO WANTS THESE THINGS!"
"Am I?"
She smiled.
"Are you certain?"
He fell silent.
The Demon Queen walked toward him, stopping just beyond arm's reach.
"Tell me something, Masked Man."
Her voice was gentle.
Almost friendly.
"Have you ever wanted something so badly that you couldn't imagine living without it?"
He didn't answer.
"Have you ever worked toward a goal for so long that you forgot why you started?"
She tilted her head.
"Have you ever reached the end of a journey and discovered that you no longer wanted what you'd spent your entire life chasing?"
The Masked Man stared at her.
She smiled.
"Perhaps that's what happened to me."
For once, he didn't immediately argue.
The Demon Queen turned toward the exit.
"Perhaps I know exactly what I want."
She took a step forward.
"Perhaps I have no idea."
Another step.
"Perhaps I change my mind every time someone asks me."
She looked over her shoulder.
"Or perhaps I simply enjoy watching people struggle to understand me."
Her smile returned.
"Which answer would you prefer?"
The Masked Man said nothing.
She laughed softly.
"That's what I thought."
She walked through the doorway.
Before disappearing, she turned around one last time.
"Oh, and Masked Man?"
He looked up.
"Next time you decide to challenge me, bring a better sword."
She grinned.
"And perhaps leave the headband at home."
The doorway closed.
Silence filled the laboratory.
The Masked Man remained where he stood.
He looked at the damaged walls.
The shattered equipment.
The blood-red marks on the floor.
Then he looked at his hands.
For a long time, he didn't move.
Finally, he muttered, "What the hell is wrong with that woman?"
No one answered.
---
What Does the Demon Queen Want?
Far away, inside his own chamber, the Multiverse Demon King sat before a dark screen.
He had witnessed the entire confrontation.
He had seen the Demon Queen manipulate the Masked Man, turn his own emotions against him, and leave him with more questions than answers.
The Demon King leaned back in his chair.
"What does she want?"
He had asked himself that question many times.
Power?
Revenge?
Control over the multiverse?
Or something far more dangerous?
He remembered her expression when she had threatened him through the camera.
He remembered the way she had laughed while discussing the destruction of entire worlds.
And he remembered something else.
For a brief moment during the confrontation, when the Masked Man had asked what she wanted, the Demon Queen had stopped smiling.
It had lasted less than a second.
But he had seen it.
The Demon King slowly lowered his gaze.
"Does she even know?"
The room remained silent.
---
Somewhere aboard the spaceship, the Demon Queen stood alone before the transparent window of her private quarters.
Beyond the glass stretched an endless sea of stars.
She rested her hand against the window.
Then she began to laugh softly.
"Power… revenge… saving the universe…"
She repeated the words as though tasting them.
"How boring."
She tilted her head.
A smile spread across her face.
"Maybe I want something else."
She stared into the darkness beyond the spaceship.
"Maybe I don't want anything at all."
For a moment, her expression became completely blank.
Then she giggled.
"Oh, well!"
She turned away from the window.
"I'll figure it out when I feel like it."
And just like that, the moment passed.
She walked away, humming cheerfully.
The stars continued shining.
The children remained inside their chambers.
The Masked Man was left with his unanswered questions.
And the Multiverse Demon King could do nothing but wonder what kind of future this unpredictable woman intended to create.
But perhaps the most frightening possibility was not that the Demon Queen had a secret plan.
Perhaps the most frightening possibility was that even the Demon Queen herself didn't know what she wanted.
And if she didn't know her own destination, how could anyone predict where she would go next?
The chapter/story has ended, but we'll remember it someday from another corner of a new universe.
— MK No jutsu